My Style: Amanda Lew Kee
Photo: Felix Wong — Courtesy of Amanda Lew Kee
Would you say that you are conservative or bold?
I like to think I am a little of both. I have a conservative personality but I like to express the rebel in me through form of dress. I love looks that cover the body from neck to wrist to ankle but have a mysterious peek-a-boo sex appeal; sheer fabrics, versatile zip on and off attachments, thigh-high slits that are only seen when in movement.
Please describe your style in three words.
Refined, transitional, progressive.
What is the biggest mistake one can make when getting dressed?
Following trends versus dressing for one's personal style.
Do you believe in role models?
Yes — in philosophy.
What are your favourite fabrics?
Anything stretch, leather, and sheer.
Are there any style combinations that you object to?
To each their own.
Which city has the best-dressed women?
Milanese and Parisian women are very well put together from head to toe, including their attitude. I also love women from NY, the grungier street scene; they really live the lifestyle of their appearance. I am mesmerised by the attitude and character of a person before I notice the way they're dressed — clothing should be an accentuating feature, the outer shell that matches the inner.
What are the rules, if any, in the way you dress?
The rule is that there are no rules.
Celebrities and style...
Should be iconic.
One garment/accessory that you can never have enough of?
A well-crafted handbag!
A woman should always look like...
She is confident.
Who taught you what you know about style?
My intuition and love for minimal design. I look through a lot of architecture blogs, my idea of design porn.
How do you select your clothing every morning?
I usually wake up with a garment in mind that I want to wear for that specific day. Then, depending on variables such as the occasion and weather, I will pair it with pieces to dress the full look up or down. This takes about three minutes, and another minute to apply my cat eye liner.
What is your biggest regret?
No regrets, just lessons learned.
The three essential things a woman should know about style are...
Create your own look, your own persona. Find good quality that you resonate with, these pieces should make you feel something positive — whether it be confidence, elegance, sex appeal, or comfort. Make sure that you are wearing your clothes and that the clothes aren't wearing you — that is when fashion and style become a living coexistence of one's consciousness.
Do you have any shopping rituals?
Not really.
We will never see you wearing...
Kitten heels.
Which new designers do you follow and why?
Anne Sofie Madsen, I showed with her at Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion, New York. Her pieces are beautiful; she takes her audience into different realms of creativity while keeping her designs wearable.
Who is the most stylish person you have ever seen?
Most recently, a woman walking down Lafayette Street during women's buying week in NY. She wore a black maxi knit skirt with a thigh high side slit, which I LOVE. A grey hoodie with thumb cut outs under a black tailored wool men's blazer. Roughed up white converse sneakers, a NY Yankees ball cap, and silver metallic aviators. Sounds like an over-styled look but the woman wore the outfit like a second skin. She even walked at a fast pace as she pulled a hard drag from her cigarette — it was as if she ruled the city and the street was hers to walk on.
What is the first thing you notice on a woman?
Leather accessories.
What are the most treasured items in your wardrobe?
Purses.
The one image that defined your approach to style...
When I was living in New York, summer of 2011, the core of the city was steaming hot. Walking three blocks would build a sweat upon any clothed back. I came back to Toronto for a visit and most of my wardrobe was left in NY, so I borrowed a few pieces from my mother’s closet. She lives a very active lifestyle; spinner, runner, tennis player, to list a few. The high performance fabrics of dry fit and quick dry felt like butter, a luxury butter but different from a cashmere or rayon that I'm so use to. This made me wonder why there is very little high fashion designed around comfort and function. Thus came SS13 — a collection of refined transitional separates inspired by an active lifestyle.
One article of clothing that a woman needs to pay close attention to is...
A well-tailored jacket.
Is comfort an enemy of style?
Comfort and style coexist in reality.
Which designer never fails to impress you?
Maison Martin Margiela.
Who would you like to see next in My Style?
Anne Sofie Madsen.
The best words of advice you have ever heard?
Know your end goal and when to end.
